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Understandest Thou?

A desert road, a confused official, Isaiah 53, and a missionary lesson taught straight from the Old Testament

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 41
  • 📅 Sunday, October 11, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Isaiah 53 testifies that Jesus Christ carried our sins and our sorrows, and learning to find Him in the scriptures prepares us to receive His healing and to guide others to Him.

I can find Jesus Christ in Isaiah 53, let Him carry what I can’t, and help someone else understand what they’re reading, the way Philip did.

Study it yourself firstRead Isaiah 50–57 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Isaiah 50–57)
Know the chapters

Isaiah 50–57 moves from the Lord’s promise to rescue captive Israel to a portrait of the One who would make that rescue possible. Isaiah 50:5–7 describes a servant who gives His back to those who strike Him and sets His face like flint. Isaiah 52:13–53:12 is the “suffering servant”: despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, wounded for our transgressions, silent as a lamb, numbered with the transgressors. Then come some of the tenderest promises in the Old Testament: “my kindness shall not depart from thee” (54:10); “Ho, every one that thirsteth” (55:1); and a promise that the Lord dwells with the contrite and revives the humble (57:15).

Who is the servant in Isaiah 53? That exact question comes up in Acts 8:34. Some Jewish readers understand the servant as the people of Israel. The New Testament, the Book of Mormon (Abinadi quotes and explains the whole chapter in Mosiah 14–15), and latter-day prophets testify that it is Jesus Christ. A good discussion can honestly acknowledge that people read it differently and then look at why the fit with the Savior’s life is so striking: silent before His accusers (Mark 15:3–5), numbered with the transgressors (Mark 15:27–28), buried with the rich (Matthew 27:57–60).

Acts 8:26–39 is today’s scripture scene. Philip, one of the seven men chosen to help the Apostles (Acts 6:5), is prompted to a desert road, where the treasurer of the Ethiopian queen is riding home from worshipping in Jerusalem and reading Isaiah 53 aloud. Philip runs to the chariot, asks a question, starts where the man already is (“began at the same scripture”), teaches Jesus, and baptizes him. That is a clean pattern for missionary work and for any time a friend asks about your faith. One more detail for a thoughtful class: the man was a eunuch, and the law of Moses kept eunuchs out of the congregation (Deuteronomy 23:1). Just three chapters after Isaiah 53, the Lord promises eunuchs and foreigners who keep His covenants a place in His house and “a name better than of sons and of daughters” (Isaiah 56:3–7). Many readers find it moving that this was the book he was holding.

Doctrine for this age: Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, and He also took on our pains, sicknesses, and sorrows so He would know how to help us (Alma 7:11–12). That means the Atonement is for the youth who made a mistake last weekend and also for the one carrying grief, anxiety, or loneliness they didn’t cause. Priests in your class can baptize and bless the sacrament (D&C 20:46), and several of your youth may be teaching Isaiah 53 on a mission within a year or two. Keep the tone reverent and hopeful, and don’t press anyone to share what they’re carrying.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Isaiah 53 and Acts 8:26–39. Open with Read It Cold, let Teach Mode carry the Philip scene, do the Would You Go? line-up, and have the youth mark Isaiah 53 in two colors (what He did, what we did). Skip the Philip Challenge if you’re short on time, but keep the discussion and end by reading Isaiah 53:4–5 with “my” in place of “our.” Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: you read Isaiah 53 aloud and the class calls out HIM or US for each phrase.

What to bring3 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Read Isaiah 53 slowly, then Acts 8:26–39. Notice how Philip starts with a question instead of a speech.
  2. Text two youth before Sunday: one to be the Narrator for the Acts 8 scene and one to play the Treasurer, who reads Isaiah 53:7–8 aloud in the chariot. Ask the Treasurer to bookmark it.
  3. If you have a priest in class, ask him ahead of time whether he’d be willing to share in one sentence what he thinks about when he blesses the sacrament. Don’t surprise him with it.
  4. Add your youth’s names in the My Class tab so the Philip Challenge can pair people quickly.
  5. Think of one honest, short example of the Savior carrying something heavy for you: a sin, a sorrow, or a fear.

If your class is wild

  • Isaiah 53 can hit hard for a youth who is grieving or struggling. Keep the room reverent, never call on someone to share something personal, and follow up privately if someone looks shaken.
  • The Philip Challenge works best when the “friend” asks real, even tough, questions. Give permission: “Ask what a skeptical friend would actually ask.”
  • If your class is quiet, start the line-up wiggle by standing at the “No way” end yourself and explaining why. Honesty from the teacher unlocks honesty from teens.
  • Chariot = two chairs. The Treasurer sits, the Chariot Driver pretends to steer, and Philip literally jogs across the room. It’s goofy for three seconds and then it isn’t.
  • Let youth lead: the Narrator runs the scene, a discussion leader reads the questions, and a priest or young woman can offer the closing prayer.

The 25-minute plan24 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Read It Cold

3 min

Trying to explain Isaiah 53:7–8 with no help puts every youth in the Ethiopian official’s seat.

  1. Ask for a brave volunteer. Show Isaiah 53:7–8 on the screen and have them read it aloud cold.
  2. SAY“You have 20 seconds to explain what that means to someone who has never heard of Jesus Christ. Go.” Start the Big Timer.
  3. Whatever they say, thank them. Ask the class: “What made that hard?” (Old words, no context, you don’t know who “he” is.)
  4. SAY“About 2,000 years ago a powerful man was stuck on these exact verses, riding home through the desert. Somebody ran to help him.”
🌪️ Pick a confident volunteer, or read it cold yourself. The point is that it’s hard, not to embarrass anyone.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🧊 Explain Isaiah 53:7–8 in 20 seconds. Ready? · Isaiah 53:7–8

2. Story

Scripture Scene: Philip and the Man Reading Isaiah

6 min

Acting out Acts 8 shows how Isaiah 53 points to Jesus Christ and models how to help someone understand the gospel.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Set two chairs as the chariot. Everyone else is a Traveler.
  2. Your Narrator reads each scene. The Treasurer reads Isaiah 53:7–8 from real scriptures in scene 5.
  3. Pause after scene 4 and ask: “What did Philip do first: preach, or ask?” (He asked a question.)
  4. After scene 8, ask: “List Philip’s steps.” (He followed a prompting, ran, asked, listened, started where the man was, taught Jesus, invited him to act.)
  5. SAY“That’s not just a Bible story. That’s a missionary lesson, and some of you will be teaching Isaiah 53 in a year or two.”
🌪️ If a youth refuses a role, make them the Chariot Driver: it has the best sound effects and no lines.

Class screen: 🎭 Philip and the man reading Isaiah on a desert road · Acts 8:26–39

3. Wiggle break

Would You Go?

2 min

A standing line-up turns Philip’s quick obedience into honest self-assessment about promptings.

  1. Everyone stands. One wall is “I’d go right away,” the opposite wall is “No way,” the middle is “Maybe.”
  2. Read each prompting; youth move to where they honestly are: “Text a friend who’s been quiet lately.” · “Sit by the new kid at lunch.” · “Answer honestly when someone asks why you don’t drink.” · “Invite a friend to a youth activity.” · “Share your testimony in seminary.”
  3. After one or two moves, ask someone in the middle: “What would move you one step closer?”
  4. SAY“Philip ran. Not because he had a speech ready. Because he trusted the Spirit knew something he didn’t.”

Class screen: 🏃 A prompting comes. Would you go right away, maybe, or no way? · Text a quiet friend · Sit by the new kid · Explain why you don’t drink · Invite a friend · Share your testimony

4. Scripture

Mark It Up: Him and Us

5 min

A two-color marking exercise builds a real study skill and shows how much of Isaiah 53 is about what He did for us.

  1. Pairs open Isaiah 53:2–12. Mark everything HE did or suffered in one color, and everything WE did in another.
  2. After two minutes, ask: “What do you notice?” (We went astray, hid our faces, didn’t esteem Him. He bore, carried, was wounded, bruised, silent, and made intercession.)
  3. Teach Isaiah 53:4–5 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  4. SAY“Alma 7:11–12 says He took on our pains, sicknesses, and sorrows too, so He knows how to help us. Isaiah 53 isn’t only for when we’ve sinned. It’s also for when life just hurts.”
🌪️ If phones wander, have one person per pair read and the other mark. Swap halfway.

Class screen: 🖍️ Mark what HE did and what WE did in Isaiah 53. · Isaiah 53:2–12 · Isaiah 53:4–5

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: the youth’s own Gospel Library app, or a printed Bible for each pair

Him or Us?

  1. SAY“I’ll read Isaiah 53 one phrase at a time. If it’s about what HE did, point up. If it’s about what WE did, point to yourself.”
  2. Read Isaiah 53:3–7 slowly from your own scriptures, pausing after each phrase for the class to point.
  3. Ask: “What do you notice?” (We went astray and hid our faces. He bore, carried, was wounded, and stayed silent.)
  4. Teach Isaiah 53:4–5 with the memory hooks. Say it together once, and add Alma 7:11–12: He carried our pains and sorrows too.

Class screen: ☝️ Point up for HIM. Point to yourself for US. · Isaiah 53:3–7

5. Game

The Philip Challenge

3 min

Pairs practice answering a friend’s real question the way Philip did: ask, start where they are, point to Jesus.

  1. Pair up. One person is the Friend, one is Philip. Friends pick a question from the screen.
  2. Philip gets 60 seconds (Big Timer) to respond using Philip’s pattern: ask a question back, start where they are, point to Jesus Christ, and invite.
  3. Switch roles and go again with a new question.
  4. Quick vote: which pair nailed “start where they are”? They get bragging rights.
🌪️ If someone freezes, remind them Philip’s first move was a question. “What made you wonder about that?” counts as a great start.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ⏱️ Philip Challenge: ask, start where they are, point to Jesus · “Who is Isaiah 53 even about?” · “Why would God need to suffer?” · “Why do you take the sacrament every week?” · “Why go on a mission?”

6. Talk it over

Real Talk

3 min

Honest questions connect Isaiah 53 to what the youth carry and to how they’ll teach it.

  1. Sit in a circle. A youth discussion leader reads the questions and calls on people.
  2. If the sins-and-sorrows question comes up, share President Uchtdorf’s line about how we became lost (see Conference below).
  3. Pick two or three. Let silence work, and share one honest answer yourself.
💬 Ask the class
  • Isaiah 53:4 says He carried our griefs and sorrows, not just our sins. What does that mean for someone dealing with anxiety, loss, or loneliness they didn’t cause?
  • Isaiah 53:3 says people hid their faces from Him. What are modern ways people, even at church, look away from the Savior?
  • Philip ran when the Spirit prompted. What makes it hard to act on a prompting right away, and how do you get better at it?
  • People read Isaiah 53 differently. If a friend challenged you that it isn’t about Jesus, how would you respond honestly and kindly?
  • Priests bless the sacrament each week. How could remembering Isaiah 53 change what you think about while it’s passed?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk

7. Testimony

Read It with My Name

2 min

Reading Isaiah 53:4–5 personally helps each youth feel the Savior carried their own sins and sorrows.

  1. Wait for real quiet. Show Isaiah 53:4–5 on the screen.
  2. SAY“Read it silently once more. Everywhere it says ‘our,’ read ‘my.’ Everywhere it says ‘we,’ read ‘I.’” Give a full 30 seconds.
  3. If a priest agreed ahead of time, invite him to share in one sentence what he thinks about when he blesses the sacrament.
  4. Share your short example of the Savior carrying something for you. Testify that He will carry what they give Him. Introduce the challenge and ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🕊️ Surely He hath borne MY griefs, and carried MY sorrows. · Isaiah 53:4–5

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews Isaiah 50–57 and the Acts 8 story.

  1. Split into two teams. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Teams get 10 seconds to agree. Bonus point if they can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Isaiah 50–57

Story drama

Philip and the Man Reading Isaiah

Acts 8:26–39; Isaiah 53:7–8 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads each scene, including what the angel and the Spirit tell Philip.
  • PhilipGets a prompting, runs to the chariot, asks a question, and teaches about Jesus Christ.
  • The TreasurerA powerful Ethiopian official who reads Isaiah 53:7–8 aloud, admits he’s confused, and asks to be baptized.
  • Chariot DriverSteers the chariot (two chairs), makes hoofbeat sounds, and stops the chariot at the water.
  • AngelPoints Philip toward the desert road in scene 1.
  • TravelersEveryone else: dusty travelers on the road who watch, react, and become the “water” in scene 8.

Scenes

  1. 👼🏜️ “Arise, and go toward the south”

    An angel told Philip to leave the busy city work he was doing and go down a desert road toward Gaza. No reason given. Just go.

    🎬 The Angel points to the far side of the room. Philip looks around, shrugs, and starts walking.

  2. 🐎📖 A powerful official reads Isaiah

    On that road rode the treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia, a man in charge of her entire treasury. He had traveled all the way to Jerusalem to worship, and now, riding home in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah out loud.

    🎬 The Treasurer sits in the chair-chariot holding scriptures. The Chariot Driver steers and clicks out hoofbeats.

  3. 🏃💨 “Go near, and join thyself to this chariot”

    The Spirit whispered to Philip: go to that chariot. Philip didn’t wait to think of a good opening line. He ran.

    🎬 Philip jogs across the room and catches up to the chariot, a little out of breath.

  4. ❓📖 “Understandest thou what thou readest?”

    Philip heard him reading and asked a simple question: Do you understand what you’re reading? The official was honest: How can I, unless someone guides me? Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him.

    🎬 Philip asks, “Understandest thou what thou readest?” The Treasurer answers, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” and pats the seat beside him.

  5. 🐑🤫 “As a sheep to the slaughter”

    The passage he was reading was Isaiah 53:7–8, about someone led like a sheep to the slaughter, silent like a lamb before the shearers, whose life was taken from the earth.

    🎬 The Treasurer reads Isaiah 53:7–8 aloud slowly. Everyone else goes completely still.

  6. 🤔➡️✝️ “Of whom speaketh the prophet?”

    The official asked the question scholars still ask: Is Isaiah talking about himself, or someone else? Philip began right there, at that same scripture, and taught him about Jesus: His life, His suffering, His death, and His Resurrection.

    🎬 The Treasurer asks, “Of whom speaketh the prophet?” Philip points to the page, then speaks quietly and earnestly as the Travelers lean in to listen.

  7. 💧🙋 “See, here is water”

    As they rode on, they came to some water. The official said, Look, here is water. What’s stopping me from being baptized? Philip told him that if he believed with all his heart, he could. He answered: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

    🎬 The Chariot Driver pulls back the reins: “Whoa!” The Treasurer points and says, “See, here is water.” Then, with his hand on his heart: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

  8. 🌊😊 He went on his way rejoicing

    They both went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Then the Spirit carried Philip away, and the official never saw him again. But he didn’t need to. He went on his way rejoicing, heading home to Africa with the good news.

    🎬 The Travelers make a ring of “water” with their arms. Philip and the Treasurer step in and out. The Treasurer walks back to his chariot, smiling, and waves goodbye.

Key verse

Isaiah 53:4–5 ↗
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows … But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
In plain words: Jesus Christ carried our grief and sorrow, not just our sins. He was hurt for the wrong things we do, and because He suffered, we can be forgiven, have peace, and be healed.
🙌 Memory hooks: “borne our griefs… carried our sorrows” = lift an invisible load onto your shoulder · “wounded… bruised” = two fists crossed over your chest · “the chastisement of our peace” = open palms, calm · “with his stripes we are healed” = one hand sweeps slowly down the other arm.

More verses

Acts 8:30–31 ↗
“Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?”
In plain words: Philip asked if he understood what he was reading. The man honestly admitted he needed someone to guide him.
Isaiah 53:3 ↗
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him”
In plain words: People rejected Him and looked away from Him. He knows sorrow from the inside.
Isaiah 54:10 ↗
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed”
In plain words: Mountains could move before the Lord stops being kind to you or breaks His covenant of peace.
Isaiah 57:15 ↗
“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
In plain words: The holy God of heaven also chooses to live close to people who are humble and sorry, to bring their hearts back to life.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🏃 Philip
  • 🐎 Chariot
  • 💼 Treasurer
  • 🏜️ Desert road
  • 😢 Man of sorrows
  • 🐑 Lamb
  • 🩹 Stripes
  • 🚫 Transgressions
  • 🎒 Griefs
  • 💧 Baptism
  • 💭 Prompting
  • 🔥 Abinadi
  • 🍞 Sacrament
  • 🧳 Mission
  • 🙇 Contrite
  • 👣 Beautiful feet
Clues for each word
  • Philip: Ran to a chariot when the Spirit prompted him
  • Chariot: Where the official was reading Isaiah
  • Treasurer: Managed the Ethiopian queen’s money
  • Desert road: Where the angel sent Philip, toward Gaza
  • Man of sorrows: Isaiah 53:3 title for the Savior
  • Lamb: Silent before its shearers
  • Stripes: “With his ___ we are healed”
  • Transgressions: He was wounded for ours
  • Griefs: Heavy sorrows He has borne
  • Baptism: “See, here is water; what doth hinder me?”
  • Prompting: What the Spirit gave Philip
  • Abinadi: Book of Mormon prophet who quoted all of Isaiah 53
  • Sacrament: Priests bless it every Sunday
  • Mission: Where you might teach Isaiah 53 someday
  • Contrite: The Lord dwells with this kind of heart (57:15)
  • Beautiful feet: Belong to those who bring good tidings (52:7)
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What was the Ethiopian official reading in his chariot?
    • A. The Psalms
    • B. Isaiah
    • C. Genesis
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Isaiah Acts 8:28, 32–33. He was reading what we call Isaiah 53:7–8.

  2. What was the first thing Philip said to him?
    • A. A question
    • B. A sermon
    • C. A warning
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A question “Understandest thou what thou readest?” Philip started by asking.

  3. What did the official ask Philip about Isaiah’s words?
    • A. “How old is this book?”
    • B. “Can I keep this scroll?”
    • C. “Of whom speaketh the prophet?”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “Of whom speaketh the prophet?” Acts 8:34. Philip began at that scripture and taught him Jesus.

  4. Isaiah 53:7 compares the Savior to a lamb that is…
    • A. lost
    • B. silent before its shearers
    • C. leading the flock
    Show answer

    ✅ B. silent before its shearers Mark 15:3–5: before His accusers, He answered nothing.

  5. Besides our sins, Alma 7:11–12 says the Savior took on our…
    • A. grades
    • B. pains, sicknesses, and sorrows
    • C. chores
    Show answer

    ✅ B. pains, sicknesses, and sorrows So He knows exactly how to help us.

  6. Which Book of Mormon prophet quoted all of Isaiah 53?
    • A. Abinadi
    • B. Alma the Younger
    • C. Ether
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Abinadi Mosiah 14, before King Noah’s priests.

  7. What did the official say when they reached water?
    • A. “Let’s rest here”
    • B. “Give my horses a drink”
    • C. “What doth hinder me to be baptized?”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “What doth hinder me to be baptized?” Acts 8:36. He was ready to act on what he learned.

  8. Isaiah 54:10: what shall not depart, even if mountains do?
    • A. The temple
    • B. The Lord’s kindness
    • C. Jerusalem
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Lord’s kindness His kindness and His covenant of peace stay put.

  9. After the baptism, how did the official go on his way?
    • A. Rejoicing
    • B. Confused
    • C. Afraid
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Rejoicing Acts 8:39. Understanding the Savior changed his whole trip home.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“It matters not how you became lost—whether because of your own poor choices or because of circumstances beyond your control.”

— President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home,” April 2016

Share in Real Talk with the first question: Isaiah 53 covers both our sins and the sorrows we didn’t choose.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • I Know That My Redeemer Lives Hymns, no. 136

    Isaiah 53 describes the Redeemer’s suffering; this hymn celebrates that He lives. Sing it after the testimony. Find it ↗

  • I Need Thee Every Hour Hymns, no. 98

    A quiet opener for a lesson about letting the Savior carry what we can’t. Find it ↗

  • Called to Serve Hymns, no. 249

    Philip followed a call to a desert road. Good for classes with future missionaries. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Be Someone’s Philip

During the sacrament this Sunday, read Isaiah 53:4–5 with “my” instead of “our,” and give the Savior one specific thing you’ve been carrying. Then, this week, act on the first prompting you get to help someone, even if you don’t know what to say yet. Philip didn’t either.

Text the parents

This week we studied Isaiah 53, which testifies that Jesus Christ carried our sins and our sorrows, and acted out Philip teaching the Ethiopian treasurer from that very chapter (Acts 8). Ask your teen: what did Philip do first when he reached the chariot, and how could that help when a friend asks about their faith?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🏷️ A Name Better Than Sons and Daughters · 4 min

  1. Explain briefly, without reading it aloud, that Deuteronomy 23:1 kept eunuchs out of the congregation under the law of Moses.
  2. Have the class read Isaiah 56:3–7, where the Lord promises eunuchs and strangers who keep His covenants a place in His house.
  3. Point out that the Ethiopian official was a eunuch and was reading Isaiah just three chapters earlier.
  4. Ask: “Who feels left out at church or in your school? How can we make sure they know there’s a place for them in the Lord’s house?”

🦸 Hero Casting Call · 4 min

  1. In two teams, pitch a blockbuster hero who saves the world: powers, look, soundtrack.
  2. Read Isaiah 53:2–3. Compare: no beauty we’d desire, despised, rejected.
  3. Ask: “Why would Heavenly Father send a Savior who suffers with us instead of one who rescues from a distance?”

🚰 Come to the Waters · 3 min

  1. Read Isaiah 55:1–2. Ask: “What do people our age spend money and energy on that doesn’t satisfy?”
  2. Read 55:8–9. Ask for an example of a time God’s way turned out higher than their plan.
  3. Invite each youth to name one free thing the Lord offers that actually satisfies.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

All Youth 16–18 lessons